Modern civilization, particularly in the western world, owes much to the ancient Greeks. Philosophy, mathematics, and education have major ties to Greece. So, too, does wrestling, believe it or not. An ancient sport still in existence today, from amateur teams to well known professional organizations, wrestling got its start in Greece.

When the ancient Greeks developed wrestling, it was a routine part of militaristic training. Wrestling was an effective addition to soldier training, since it is widely recognized as being a good way to develop strength and skill with graceful movement. Indeed, being good at wrestling was integral for Greek soldiers.

Wrestling was not only for soldiers, though. In ancient Greece, wrestling may have been offered as a part of normal education, much like a physical education class offered as part of a well-rounded curriculum in contemporary schools. Wrestling develops skill and dexterity that is necessary for ease of movement and fluidity in combat situations.

Wrestling quickly became rather competitive. Since the Olympic Games were already a big Greek event, they added wrestling matches to the games. As highly skilled masters of wrestling, ancient Greeks were by far the champions in wrestling competitions. Of course, that could not last forever, as the Greeks soon found out.

It did not take long then for the idea of wrestling as a sport to spread throughout the world. As wrestling grew and gained popularity, and with other countries also training men in high skill wrestling, those foreign competitors naturally joined Olympic wrestling matches. When those same foreign born competitors began to win in wrestling matches, the Greeks were less than pleased.

Nowadays, wrestling is still very popular. Professional wrestling has become a mainstream form of entertainment drawing spectators from all walks of life. Also, many high schools and colleges have competitive wrestling teams. Over a thousand years after wrestling debuted, it remains a sport that is not only highly practiced, but that is still well known and recognized for developing discipline, skill, and physical fitness.